Respiratory Care

Total hours for program - 68 credits

• Four semester program
• Leads to an Associate in Applied Science Degree (AAS) with a general education requirement of 23 hours
• Respiratory Care Technical Coursework (45-47 hours)
• Theory/Skills presented in lecture/lab format
• Clinical Component: Held in clinical sites which provide services to respiratory patients
• Highly Recommended general education courses of 6-7 hours.

Upon completion of the Respiratory Care Program, the student can:

1. Demonstrate proficiency in conducting thorough patient
   assessments, including evaluating respiratory conditions, recognizing
   signs of distress, and interpreting clinical data.

2. Perform appropriate selection and delivery of respiratory care
   interventions, encompassing oxygen therapy, aerosol therapy, airway
   management, and mechanical ventilation.

3. Demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving to make informed
   clinical judgments, prioritize care, and effectively respond to rapidly
   changing patient conditions.

4. Display ethical standards and effective communication with patients,
   families, and healthcare teams.

5. Demonstrate cardiopulmonary anatomy, physiology, and
   pharmacology, knowledge by interpreting diagnostic data effectively
   in assessment and diagnosis of respiratory conditions.

Respiratory Care: National Board For Respiratory Care (NBRC) Examination

A student who has passed the NBRC entry-level examination will be awarded thirty-seven to thirty-nine (37 - 39) semester hours of
credits in the Respiratory Care Program after completion of at least 15 credit hours of the general education courses in the approved curriculum. The student must also provide evidence of successful completion of the American Heart Association Basic Life Support course for health care providers. Credit will be awarded for the following courses in the Respiratory Care

Program:

• RCP 110 Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology (3 hr)
• RCP 120 Theory and Principles of Respiratory Care (4 hr)
• RCP 125 Basic Cardiopulmonary Evaluation (4 hr)
• RCP 135 Pharmacology (1 hr)
• RCP 150 Clinical Practice | (2 hr)
• RCP 175 Clinical Practice II (3 hr)
• RCP 180 Ventilatory Support (3 hr)
• RCP 190 Advanced Ventilatory Support (2 hr)
• RCP 200 Clinical Practice III (3 hr)
• RCP 210 Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology (3 hr)
• RCP 212 Neonatal / Pediatric Respiratory Care (3 hr)
• RCP 225 Clinical Practice IV (3 hr)
• RCP 228 Preventive and Long Term Respiratory Care (2 hr)
• *RCP 204 Special Procedures | (3 hr)

*Credit for RCP 204 will be awarded to the Certified Respiratory Therapist who additionally provides documentation of training/ certification for Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Neonatal Resuscitation Procedures (NRP).

• Angie Mills BS, RRT – Program Director
• Jason Asher M.Ed., RRT – Director of Clinical Education
• Dr. Rajan Joshi – Medical Director

Students enrolled in an accredited Respiratory Care program may be employed as a student respiratory care practitioner.  The Limited Mandatory Certificate is issued by the Kentucky Board for Respiratory Care governs the duties of the student RCP.  The Limited Certificate must be applied for before beginning employment.

• The student must not be on probation for any reason at any time during the time of employment
• The student must maintain a “B” average in each course and clinical performance must be evaluated as satisfactory.
• The student must maintain regular attendance.
• If the student is to ill to attend scheduled clinics or didactic sessions, then the student is considered to ill to work as a student RCP.  The student must attend clinical or class for the full day.
• Employment time is not substituted for clinical experience.
• Clinical performance evaluations may not be completed during the time the student is employed.

Delineation between Clinical Time and Clinical Site Employment

While enrolled in and attending the Respiratory Care program many students are employed at various clinical sites. There must remain a clear distinction between the student and employee roles; and to that end:

• Students must not be utilized at facilities to substitute for clinical, instruction, or administrative staff.
• Students must not complete clinical coursework while working in an employee status at any clinical site.
• Students may not receive/accept remuneration in exchange for work performed at or during their clinical education, course  work, and experiences.
• Students may not use patient information gained during employment to complete clinical coursework.